tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30439754912560616442024-03-06T01:14:39.616-05:00victoria does italianInspired by Julie & Julia and my love of Italian food, I've decided to cook the entire "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking"; all before graduating from university in 8 months!
Why this book?
Simply because Marcella Hazan = Italian Julia Child. Need I say more?
Why before the end of the school?
Because who knows where I'll be or what I'll be doing in 8 months, so: "Carpe Diem! and Let's eat!!"victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632367532051704561noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043975491256061644.post-71319273419891774892010-02-17T19:22:00.000-05:002010-02-17T19:22:04.184-05:00frittate, zucchini e fagiolini<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Case of the missing blogs…</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Another 2 weeks seemed to have slipped by and I have inadvertently not logged any of the dishes I’ve been making at home! So sorry! So, for all you curious souls, here’s what’s been happening... (working from memory here, so bear with me)</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Yesterday I realized that today marked the beginning of the Lenten fast for catholics everywhere. As such, I have decided to give up meat for the next 40 days and opt for the shellfish/fish and veggie options in the book. In preparation for today, I made lentil soup (p. 99) as my meagre meal for the day. Granted that it consisted of some pancetta, I decided that it was ok because it wasn’t a proper piece of meat… right? The idea behind this soup was humble-ness, a trait that I should be eminating more often. And that is exactly what this soup was – a down-to-earth hearty soup that you can imagine coming from the kitchens of some small town in Tuscany. Accompanied with some thick hearty bread and presto, meal made. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Last week was super hectic and I tried to find a short cut for a good tomato sauce. I used canned tomatoes, frozen diced veggie mix and some butter. Result: not so good. The balance was completely off and the entire pot was way to acidic. Definitely still needs some tweeking. This was done with the tomato sauce with olive oil and chopped vegetables (pg. 153) in mind and all I can say, it didn’t work out the way it was supposed to. Must be reattempted.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Frittata with cheese (pg. 279)</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Be careful with this one. The cheese almost burnt on me, even when I had the pan on medium (like the directions said). Definitely use a non-stick pan when attempting ANY frittata!</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Frittata with Zucchini and Basil (pg. 280)</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Yum-o! Definitely my favourite frittata yet. Maybe it’s my obsession with zucchini, but may man this was good (and I even cheated and used dried basil!!! :D)</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Frittata with Green Beans (pg. 284)</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I didn’t think I’d like green beans in a frittata, but I ended up loving it! The key to any green bean dish, is a quick boil in hot salted water so that the rest of your dish doesn’t burn while waiting for them to cook.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Frittata with Pan-Fried Onions and Potatoes (pg. 284)</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Don’t make the pan too hot and be patient. The rewards are a well-balanced omelette like thing that can be served any time of the day! :D</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Oven-Roated Chicken with Garlic and Rosemary (pg. 328)</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The last time I followed a roasted chicken recipe from this book, I was disappointed with the final flavour of meat after 2 hrs of roasting (lacking in flavour), so this time, I tweeked the application of the ingredients and made a very successful bird. Instead of just cloves of whole garlic being put in, I used my pre-minced garlic packed in oil – worked soo well! I should have increased the amount of rosemary, but meh, now I’ll know for next time J</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Honeycomb tripe with Parmesean (pg. 448)</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">:s tripe is not for me. While I can say now that I have cooked it and understand that it takes a long time for the tripe to soften, I don’t think I’ll be making this again. The smell that fills the room is so overwhelming that I was surprised that my entire closet smelt normal after cooking it in the kitchen down the hallway. But, if it is your thing, be sure to leave it to simmer away for hours…</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Pan-roasted diced potatoes (pg. 520)</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">While this isn’t the fanciest of dishes, it is very satisfying for that pang of “I want fries”. I was surprised at how little oil I actually needed to get that golden brown crispness. Yum.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Fried Zucchini in Vinegar and Garlic (pg. 531)</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I couldn’t bring myself to use the amount of oil required, so I sautéed them instead and they were soooo yummy. I’ve already re-made this (with my variations) 3 times since…</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sauteed Zucchini rounds with onions (pg. 532)</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Another good variation with zucchini. Technically not challenging at all. Good practice of slicing skills?</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sauteed zucchini rounds with oregano (pg. 532)</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Honestly, I think I’m addicted. I’ve remade this one a number of times as well! Conclusion: zucchini, such a versatile thing! </span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Green Beans with Yellow Peppers, Tomatoes and Chili Pepper (pg. 474)</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I officially love this method of cooking. Nothing can beat tomatoes simmered on the stove to give a long cooked feel and taste…. Yum.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Green Beans and Potato Pie, Genoa Style (pg. 473)</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">While being made of just eggs and green beans, while baking, it smelt like meat. Weird? I really liked the taste of it, however I was disappointed that it stuck to a non-stick pan sprayed with oil. I’d say that this would be a great stuffing for a phyllo crust pie because it that way, it won’t stick to the pan and come out in chunks rather than wedges L</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">As I continue cooking, I realize that things are becoming easier. I mean, technique wise. While I don’t stress anymore about following everything down to a T, I’ve gotten back into my old groove and can now comfortably rely on my instincts to produce an authentic tasting Italian meal… a proud moment for sure. Anyway, that’s it for now!</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">After all of this, my count is 14 more down and 446 to go!</span></div>victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632367532051704561noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043975491256061644.post-1283349652205110002010-01-28T20:17:00.002-05:002010-01-28T20:17:41.149-05:00catch up time!! grab a coffee and enjoy :Dok world, so i've been cooking up a storm and have many things to report on! grab a cup of coffee (or a caffe lungho) and catch up on the happenings of victoria's kitchen!<br />
<br />
here's the weekly menus that i've been making in residence. i must admit to not following exactly the recipe, but that's because if i did, i'd have food coming out of my ears. i basically trust my instincts and make one or two portions instead of the 4 or 6 that are usually called for. for the most part, i think i'm getting better at making food, but instinct is best. (ie, cookie making with anna...) i know though, that i need my full attention in the kitchen if i'm not to burn anything and/or under/over cook anything. the only time i can walk away is if the stove is set at low and something is meant to braise for an hour or so (and even then, never really walk away!!! it leads to a burnt pan... trust me...) critically though, i know my timing needs work. making a perfectly juicy chicken breast or med/med-rare steak has only happened to me by chance and i know i'm not comfortable with it yet... must master meat cooking before easter (when i've decided to give up meat and go fish-atarian for lent). so, here goes :)<br />
<br />
Monday<br />
Escarole Soup with Rice (pg. 91)<br />
- not a fan of escarole, personally a little too bitter, BUT as with all the soups i've made thus far, is much better the next day <br />
Tuna Sauce with Tomatoes and Garlic (pg. 180)<br />
- looks wise, this isn't what i'd say is more "beautiful" (at least not how i made it), but taste wise, it was good. i altered it a bit in that i added a bit more water to the pan and threw in farfalle pasta and let it simmer there. that way, just one pot!! :D woohoo!! <br />
<br />
Tuesday<br />
Grilled Steak alla Fiorentina<br />
- used a george foreman which meant that there was no charcoal flavour at all, but the final rub of raw garlic at the end (so subtle but necessary to finish off the dish) was definitely a new technique i plan on keeping <br />
Celery and Potatoes Braised in Olive Oil and Lemon Juice (pg. 487)<br />
- very mild dish, but so simple and beautiful. good olive oil is so crucial in the dish. remember to season well.<br />
<br />
<br />
Wednesday<br />
Bruschetta (pg. 73)<br />
- is there anything more satisfying than toasted bread with a drizzle of olive oil on top. try it with olive ciabatta... delicious! <br />
Beans and Tuna Salad (pg 564)<br />
- in north america, we're used to tuna salad being heavy; laddened with mayonnaise and celery. this one is really a bean salad with olive oil and wine vinegar with tuna added-in to enhance it<br />
<br />
Thursday<br />
Sauteed Fillets of Chicken (pg. 341)<br />
- hehehe, proud moment to take your chicken off the stove and have it nice and juicy :D patience is key, my friend. Patience.<br />
Spinach Sauteed with EVOO and Garlic (pg. 527)<br />
- not a fan of this much spinach... i also don't think i did it right, but still... after 2 recipes centered around this green leaf, the funny feeling i get on my teeth after eating it is not all that pleasant to me. but that's just me.... <br />
<br />
Friday<br />
<br />
Saturday<br />
NOTHING (EAT @ CONFERENCE)<br />
(write about Braised Artichokes and Peas pg. 451)<br />
- this was something i did a long time ago at my cottage. for this recipe, be sure to use rather large artichokes, because otherwise <br />
<br />
Sunday<br />
No lunch<br />
Dinner: with Kim<br />
Tomato Sauce with Garlic and Basil (pg. 156)<br />
- super easy, very satisfying, served it with spaghetti<br />
Asparagus Salad (pg.557)<br />
- I’m a HUGE fan of asparagus so this was perfect because it really was asparagus in all it’s glory (lightly boiled, drizzled with olive oil and season with salt and pepper)<br />
<br />
Monday <br />
Gratineed Asparagus with Parmesan (pg 467)<br />
- nice variation. Par-boiling the asparagus allows the crust to form without the asparagus being raw when you serve it (not that there’s anything wrong with raw asparagus! Yum!)<br />
Gratineed Asparagus with Fried Eggs (pg 467)<br />
- being a fan of egg helps, but honestly, I don’t think that the addition of an egg on top of your asparagus changes the dish dramatically (p.s. i’m a complete fan of fried egg – just ask nikki!)<br />
Meatballs and Tomatoes (pg. 399)<br />
- this took a little while to make, but a few things I learnt:<br />
1) the bread in the meat mixture just lightens up the entire dish and makes sure they’re soft. Skip if you don’t have any<br />
2) take the meatball out right before you think they’re done, they’ll continue cooking when you’ve added the canned tomatoes and made their sauce<br />
3) use whole tomatoes that already have a little bit of seasoning because it just makes your life easier and, as long as you’ve seasoned well, no one will know the difference!<br />
<br />
Tuesday<br />
Smothered Cabbage, Venetian (pg. 479)<br />
- has an addictive taste from the vinegar (but is lost the second it’s made into soup)<br />
Rice and Smothered Cabbage Soup (pg. 94)<br />
- to keep the original flavour of the smothered cabbage, must add about 1 tbsp more vinegar and reseason with salt and pepper<br />
Calabresi cookie (pg 594)<br />
- nice flavour, not too sweet, be sure to roll out and cut (not make into balls!!)<br />
Frittata alle cipole <br />
- medium heat and a non-stick pan is key when making any frittata – don’t rush the process (or leave the pan on high mistakenly!) <br />
- great for parties as a light meal or cubbed as appetizers; be sure to maintain a certain ratio of egg:onion though. Not enough egg = non-cohesive frittata!victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632367532051704561noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043975491256061644.post-75593311033936485892010-01-19T23:38:00.001-05:002010-01-19T23:39:26.825-05:00tick, tock, tick, tocktime doesn't seem to want to slow, so here i am, with another dose of accomplished dishes:<br />
<br />
escarole soup with rice<br />
escarole is a slightly bitter lettuce looking leafy green that is usually located right beside the lettuce section. it has a bright green, almost white, leaf colour while its rib (of the thicker part) is white. i had never previously thought of making any sort of lettuce into a soup, but apparently, it's rather common in italy - or so the book would make you think. who knows... this adventure went down rather uneventfully, but it marked the beginning of my new found self-proclaimed "judgement" on whether or not to use all the oils that are actually called for in the dish. granted that usually, the oils serve a purpose, often times, i find myself wondering if by eating 1 tbsp of the dish, that i'd just shaven off a year of my life. so, there marcella! take that! no, but seriously, the soup wasn't bad and it can definitely be cooked and left on the stove at LOW for a long time. it definitely tastes better overnight and having sat in the fridge and rewarmed.<br />
<br />
tuna sauce with tomatoes and garlic<br />
for those of you who are going to start lent and fast from eating meat during the lenten period, this recipe's for you. for those of you who are on a budget and like tuna, but are sick of eating it straight out of the can (not that there's anything wrong with that!), this recipe's for you. for those of you who just want to use up stuff in their pantry, try it out too. the premise is some good tomato sauce made with EVOO and tuna thrown in near the end. maybe it was just that specific can, but i felt like i could taste the metal "tin" that the tuna was stored it. not so pleasant. also, be sure to add lots of parsley because a) it's good for you, b) it looks pretty in the dish and c) (most importantly) it makes it taste 10000x better!<br />
<br />
celery and potatoes braised in EVOO and lemon<br />
the title doesn't do justice to the subtle flavours that come from this dish. granted that it really doesn't jump out as super seasoned, it's the simplicity and subtle nature of the flavours of this dish that really make it shine. celery is usually given a bad connotation, but i guarantee you, here, it's all lost. it just becomes mellow. be sure though, to season well with salt. also, grate in 1/4 of the rind from the lemon and thrown in the "emptied" lemon shell with the dish while it's braising. it imparts a mild lemon fragrance throughout the dish, that is only accentuated by the use of a fruity olive oil. be sure not to serve this after a strong dish (like steak alla fiorentina) because then, the beauty of it disappears.<br />
<br />
3 more down, 478 to go!victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632367532051704561noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043975491256061644.post-21937289477660740552010-01-16T22:19:00.001-05:002010-01-19T23:21:42.288-05:00"hum-drum" weekdaysso, after dinner with heather, i couldn't bare throwing away all that beautiful flavour so i decided to make "smothered onion sauce". it's super easy to make and not expensive at all. plus, it's one of those dishes that one could imagine as the cover of bon appetit magazine because it's just so simple, so clean, so perfect. 4 servings later, i'm so glad that i threw that empty pan in the fridge and waited for 30 mins to make this sauce.<br />
<br />
Steak alla Fiorentina = a perfectly grilled steak over a charcoal fire rubbed with raw garlic at the very end, giving just a support to a good piece of meat. to recreate this in residence, i had my solo george foreman grill. not charcoal, but it didn't turn out half bad. i think i can say though, that i'm just not a steak person. but, the garlic at the end did come through and it was good.<br />
<br />
what i did love, was sauteed zucchini with garlic and olive oil. YUM. now that, i could eat time and time again. it was crunchy but soft. definitely made 4 servings and are them all in one... oops. is it ok to eat 1 lb of zucchini? oh well, hope so!<br />
<br />
with that, 3 more down, meaning 378 to go!victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632367532051704561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043975491256061644.post-82740304801476698152010-01-16T21:51:00.002-05:002010-01-19T23:17:29.624-05:00ccsa friends and morea last minute get together with rahul and kevin led to a menu of:<br />
<br />
- tonnarelli al burro e rosmarino<br />
- braciola di maiale arrostita con salvia e vino bianco<br />
- broccoli rosolati con burro e parmigiano<br />
(- frozen red pepper and chicken pizza)<br />
(- fried hot italian sausage)<br />
(- baked italian meatballs)<br />
(- anise-scented rasberry tart)<br />
(- french vanilla ice cream)<br />
<br />
how can only 3 people eat that much? funny story... first, it was 2. then 3. then 4.... then 5... then 6? and then a roommate thrown in for fun. hahaha, the joys of 510b london hall.<br />
<br />
tonnarelli is a square-shaped handmade pasta that my friend claudia and i worked on for a good hour. not that it was particularly difficult, but chatting and dry air caused us to have to work the dough a lot more than we though. on the up hand, no clumps here! the pasta was litteraly dipped into hot water before it was ready to be thrown into the pan of flavours butter (i didn't end up straining it like the recipe said, but i liked it. it showed the ingredients which added an element of beauty to the final dish.)<br />
<br />
i've come to the conclusion that braised anything will end up beautifully if you just give it time. the pork was fall of the bone, but again, maybe because there was so much else happening on the table, the subtle flavours that i was looking for in the dish just didn't come through. it's too bad. i think i'm missing something - flavour. need to remedy this soon...<br />
<br />
broccoli (and other winter veggies) and butter. really? need i say more?<br />
<br />
this dinner shows that one of the most important components to any dinner, is people - good people; good friends. the food may not have been perfect, but laugher and memories are the things that matter most.<br />
<br />
3 more down, so... 481 to go!victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632367532051704561noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043975491256061644.post-31609937548925705502010-01-16T21:10:00.002-05:002010-01-19T23:20:17.196-05:00dinner with heatheri can't believe that it's only been 5 days since i've last written, yet, there's so much to report on!<br />
<br />
so, i left off at dinner with my roommate from last year, heather.<br />
<br />
on the menu that night:<br />
- spaghetti all'amatriciana<br />
- pollo arrostito con del rosmarino, aglio e vino bianco<br />
- carote brasate con parmigiano<br />
- croccante<br />
<br />
i've only ever really had the luxury of cooking with someone once in my life - when i was in first year during the elgin hall "iron chef" competition. however, luck of luck, my friend brandt (who loves to cook) came by to drop something off; one thing led to another and before i knew it, i was cooking along side a good friend. it was interesting because we were both sort of quiet with brief comments or instructions thrown in for good measure, which is completely different than the general chaos that is my family kitchen. but, with just 2 hours before heather was due to arrive, savouring the moment couldn't last long as we sped through the preparation of the chicken dish first (because it takes ~40 mins) and the carrots (which brandt chopped up). the amatriciana sauce was the last to hit the stove because it needed the least time. before an hour was up, everything was ready to go and beginning the process of heating pans took up the entire stove. before i could blink, everything was browning or sauteeing, developing flavours that would come out later on.<br />
<br />
what i didn't expect, was the acrid kick of the tomatoes at the start of the amatriciana sauce. i edited the recipe by adding a little sugar to help it along, and i like to think that it made a difference in the end result. but, can i just say that the sauce was incredible!?!? spicy and rich, with the mellow pancetta dissolved completely in the thick tomato paste that seems to have come from the liquidy diced tomatoes i used.<br />
<br />
i was a little disappointed with the chicken because i didn't feel like the flavours really came through. maybe i just need more flavour because i'm used to chicken now, but heather seemed to like it and i guess, when you're entertaining, that's all that important.<br />
<br />
never having consciously eaten braised carrots, it was a pleasant surprise at the intense orange and golden colour that developed and the sweet, almost dessert, sugary taste that was in every bite. incredible. countered with that touch of pungent salty flavour of the parmesan cheese and you've got fireworks for your mouth.<br />
<br />
the dessert was delicious, as i mentioned in my other post. definitely well recieved and will be made again.<br />
<br />
3 more down, 484 to govictoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632367532051704561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043975491256061644.post-11912669231752629782010-01-13T23:38:00.001-05:002010-01-16T22:03:03.126-05:00Some past dishes...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc8uivi9qmMOmlsf0RWZWwo9xq2b4cU0ErD82rFvnJWF3N1LD7Sr2I65wsVKKCiowfPyw2y4GFeqZw4x90NpfIAMMuv-obGieLwAXQm2cGQWOIvjvFdePnowj3Y3Xdu9JyhmoCGjEa3Io/s1600-h/IMG_4283.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc8uivi9qmMOmlsf0RWZWwo9xq2b4cU0ErD82rFvnJWF3N1LD7Sr2I65wsVKKCiowfPyw2y4GFeqZw4x90NpfIAMMuv-obGieLwAXQm2cGQWOIvjvFdePnowj3Y3Xdu9JyhmoCGjEa3Io/s200/IMG_4283.JPG" /></a><br />
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Pork Loin Braised in Milk and Bay Leaf</a><br />
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</div>Pork Loin Braised in Vinegar, Pepper and Bay Leaf<br />
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White Bean Soup<br />
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Breaded Eggplant Cutlets<br />
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</div>victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632367532051704561noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043975491256061644.post-26854771217219412602010-01-12T00:56:00.011-05:002010-01-13T02:11:50.819-05:00completed but not reportedso i didn't completely forget about this for a month and a half, i just couldn't report on it. so here's the list with a short blurb on each - no photos, sorry! i'll try for the next ones!<br />
<br />
Minestrone alla Romagnola<br />
- vegetable soup, romagna style<br />
basic minestrone that you see at the restaurants, but 10000 times better because it's not over salted, mellow and rustic, gets better with time, great for reheating from the freezer <br />
<br />
Minestrone con riso e basilico alla Milanese<br />
- summer vegetable soup with rice and basil, milan style<br />
not for reheating from the freezer, more creamy than the first, basil changes everything! i understand that basil can make it more summery, but i'm still feeling like it's too heavy for the summer/ hot weather<br />
<br />
Salsa a melanzane con pomodori e chili rossi<br />
- eggplant sauce with tomato and red chili pepper<br />
good for entertaining or not, can be used as spread in pita <br />
<br />
Salsa di melanzane e ricotta alla Siciliana<br />
- eggplant and ricotta sauce, sicilian style<br />
ricotta has to grow on me, not 100% sold, but the flavours were more complex than previous and really beautiful with the touches of green basil thrown in <br />
<br />
Risotto con porcini<br />
- risotto with procini mushrooms<br />
1st attempt at making risotto, definitely should have made it right before serving, oops. porcini are strong in flavour but overall good. need to redo b/c the crucial texture of risotto just wasn't there... <br />
<br />
Frittata con cipolle frite e patate<br />
- frittata with pan-friend onions and potatoes<br />
a staple in any student's kitchen. eaten hot, cold or room temp, it's great. plus, can easily be wrapped/ packed for lunch on campus. added bonus: really inexpensive to make!<br />
<br />
Melanzane Arrostito con Peperone e Cetriolo<br />
- roasted eggplant with peppers and cucumber<br />
refreshing appetizer, good colour, easy to make, make sure that raw veggie pieces are cut rather small<br />
<br />
Melanzane Inpanata<br />
- breaded eggplant cutlets<br />
makes a great crust, good as part of an appetizers or on it's own with a piece of mozarella and fresh basil<br />
<br />
25 down, 490 to govictoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632367532051704561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043975491256061644.post-50564424036176034612010-01-12T00:23:00.001-05:002010-01-19T23:20:49.033-05:00two soups and a desserti'm back!!!! sorry for the long absentia - school, exams, holidays, conference... meh, the list could go on, but i'm back and am totally determined to get the adventure completed before i graduate in just a few short months...<br />
<br />
on that note, 3 dishes to report on:<br />
- zuppa degli spinachi<br />
- zuppa d'orzo al Trentino<br />
- croccante<br />
<br />
ZUPPA DEGLI SPINACHI <br />
- spinach soup<br />
<br />
<br />
this would have been popeye's constant IV. it's a cream-based soup which turns a muted green colour from the spinach that is added. at first, i must admit to not liking it because the taste of the milk/cream was just too strong and the nutmeg came through much more than i thought. however, the next day when i warmed it up again for lunch, the flavours had had a chance to merry and come together into a warm blend of indistinguishable flavours. this was where the true beauty lay. if i could add something to the instructions, i'd probably say that the soup is best served the day AFTER it's made.<br />
<br />
i ate it with crusty olive ciabatta and a side of over-easy egg (which, if broken in the soup bowl, makes the entire thing more creamy without the taste of milk). very tasty, but not what i would choose for the dead of winter. it's more a late-fall soup.<br />
<br />
ZUPPA D'ORZO AL TRENTINO <br />
-barley soup in the style of Trent<br />
<br />
this soup was delicious from the moment it was made (i think it's because it really did sit for a long time on the stove mellowing the flavours. ) you make the barley and the flavoured oil seperate then add them together, throw in the carrots and the potatoes and let it come to a slow simmer for as long as you'd like. the result is a creamy looking thick-ish soup that coats your sides and leaves you full, but looking forward to the next bowl. yum. a definite keeper for cold days. <br />
<br />
it uses pancetta - the italian bacon. i found working with it rather interesting because it really is just a big slab of fat with only the tiniest bit of meat on one side. raw, it doesn't really have a strong smell (unlike proscuitto) but cooked, the subtle flavours of it come out. this becomes one of the dominant flavours in the dish and is very similar to fried bacon (with out the smokiness). <br />
<br />
CROCCANTE<br />
- italian praline<br />
<br />
this is possible one of the easiest desserts i've ever made. it takes 2 ingredients: sugar and almonds. while it does take time to skin and chop the almonds, the result is a beautifully golden sheet of caramel/almond goodness. i may have just found the equivalent of my brother in law's christmas candy...<br />
<br />
this it for now! tomorrow i cook for my ex-room mate. on the menu:<br />
- pasta all'Amatricina<br />
- pan roasted chicken with rosemary, garlic and white wine<br />
- braised carrots with parmesan<br />
- croccante and esspresso<br />
<br />
ciao!victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632367532051704561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043975491256061644.post-81905789059695682612009-11-30T15:11:00.003-05:002010-01-19T23:18:58.986-05:00a bit of sage-ly advicei know that i made this a while back (ie during the halloween party) but i realized that i never actually wrote about how it was made and what i learnt and have since been applying to the recipes i've been making lately.<br />
<br />
nikki and sarah had been making fresh butternut squash ravioli all afternoon while i was dealing with the chicken and cabbage braise, when the time for saucing and plating the ravioli came around. i knew in theory (and of course via marcella's cooking bible) how to make the sage sauce that was so called for in terms of the restaurant's version and even by a similar recipe in the book. the idea of flavouring oil is not foreign to me so i thought "why not, i can totally do this" so, off i went.<br />
<br />
i was impatient so i heated the pan quickly on high and turned it down to medium as called for by the recipe. next, in went a hunck of butter that melted faster than i was ready for and started to caramalize before i even had a chance to harvest the sage from my pot. luckily, my friend lauren came to the rescue and grabed me a bunch that i quickly threw into the pan of heated butter. oops... my bad. i didn't burn instantly, but it didn't do that lovely poof-ing action that i saw jaime oliver's sage do just that morning on tv. (i swear, the world of television is magical. even the worst of foods can look good! gah... please transfer some of that magic to my residence kitchen... please???)<br />
<br />
so the sage leaves were now past the golden brown colour and verging on deep caramel (which i know means that the oil/pan are too hot). "crap! i still need to throw in the pecans!" so i toss them in. sizzle sizzle sizzle. "crap! stop the heat, victoria! before everything turns a not so pleasant deep.... black!?!" says my little inner voice so, what do i do? take the boiled ravioli and try and save it.<br />
<br />
i throw in the cooked ravioli and plate it, crumble the goat cheese and serve.<br />
<br />
result: yum.<br />
<br />
now, whether or not it was the pasta (which i think it was) or the combination of sauce and pasta and cheese, i'm not sure, but all i know is that the ravioli were the first thing to go and everyone was very happy.<br />
<br />
so, what did i learn?<br />
- don't be impatient. let the pan heat slowly and you will be well rewarded.<br />
- have all ingredients on hand BEFORE starting, especially if you're anything like me and a novice at having 2-3 different new dishes on the stove happening at once<br />
- have great friends around when cooking. it just makes preparing and then eating the food that much more enjoyable.<br />
<br />
so no, i didn't master this recipe, but i'm determined to get it right so day within the next 7 months (for that's all that i have left!!!!!!!) with what i've learnt, i've now infused olive oil with rosemary and it turned out fabulously. so world, look out. oil infusions are coming in!!!!!<br />
<br />
count: 18 down, 501 to go<br />
<br />
later guys!victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632367532051704561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043975491256061644.post-81155040272648348662009-11-26T02:11:00.006-05:002009-11-26T02:37:31.980-05:00stick to your bones good: White Bean Soup with Garlic and Parsleywho knew that such simple and plain ingredients could yield a soup such as this? i know the title doesn't seem very interesting but hey, what's a hungry student with minimal ingredients to do when faced with the minor problem of feeding herself? (in fact, i find myself wondering how tasty any of the recipes are going to be with plain names such as this one...) answer: flip through the book until she finds a recipe that uses what she already has on hand, of course!<br /><br />like i mentioned in my Chick Pea Soup blog, i cooked up a pot of white beans while waiting for the chick peas to do their thing. the next day, i took the beans, boiled them (actually, i over boiled them and they turned into a semi-solid state of mush, but it actually worked in my favour this time round...) and got ready for another long long wait before a new pot of soup should magically appear on my stove top. nope, not this time round. with in 15 mins, the soup was ready to eat! incredible!<br /><br />i admit that it took two tries to get the seasoning right (i guess i tend to under season out of the "no salt" policy that exists in my house) but a little more salt, fresh ground pepper, and most importantly, fresh parsley, was thrown in, magic really did happen. i mean, it took this soup from a state of "blah" to a state of... well, i think nikki's response says it all.<br /><br />first time round, "it's good, but needs some more salt and pepper" (at this point, i hadn't added in the parsley yet). second time round (with the adjustments) she needed three times just to "make sure that everything was just right". sweet perfection.<br /><br />because the soup was finished late at night, i covered it and put it into the fridge for consumption the next day. i guess that overnight, not only did the flavours come together more but so did the soup itself! serving myself was more that slapping down balls of off-white goop that dishing up a bowl of soup... :S i ended up having to dilute the soup with some hot water while warming because it was just too thick. granted that the recipe did say that you could serve this as a side dish to roast veal, i'd say that soup is meant to have at least sooooommmmeeee liquid....<br /><br />at any rate, the soup was delicious and definitely filling. i was pleasantly surprised when, after 6 hours, dinner was just a distant thought. (i usually need to feed myself every 4 hours or so)<br /><br />in conclusion, this soup is perfect for us students heading into exam period. it doesn't really need any work (aside from preplanning the soaking of the beans) and will keep us filled and fueled for our long hours in the library. on top of that, litteraly pennies to make. definitely a keeper.<br /><br />and so my friends, the count is 17 down, 502 to go.victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632367532051704561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043975491256061644.post-22052739562152115082009-11-23T22:23:00.003-05:002009-11-23T22:44:15.554-05:00rosemary goodness - just a touch of spice and warmth as the days turn colder...with nothing left in my fridge (save 10 lbs of carrots) and a pantry running bare, i turned to the legume soups to help feed me until i make my way back to the grocery store to pick up some new supplies. as such, pg. 140 yielded an interesting recipe - <span style="font-style: italic;">Chick Pea Soup</span>.<br /><br />"simple enough" thought I and definitely something i can leave on the stove and forget about as i labour away at my GI critique. so, i decide to break down the process and begin with rehydrating the legumes in during my lunch break. (for those of you looking for an inexpensive and nutritious way of eating, i definitely suggest legumes. plus, they're super easy to make)<br /><br />one way is to let them soak overnight and boil them the next day. or, if you're like me and forget to do these things, fill a pot with cold water, add a cup of dried legumes (here, chick pea) and put it on the stove. let it come up to a boil and boil it away for a few minutes. then, turn off the stove and let it sit for at least an hour (or 1/2 a day in my case). you're beans are now ready to be boiled and used in your favourite soup, curry or salad.<br /><br />so, taking the chick peas i rehydrated over lunch, i came back from italian and started to cook them. basically, changing the water and bringing it up to a boil again and this time, letting them simmer for at least 45 mins. while that was happenig, i started to make the flavour base for the soup. (defintiely important because this is what you'll be tasting the most) i had never flavoured oil intentionally before, but boy, was i in for a treat. basically, the premis is oil that has been heated and infused with spices (here garlic and rosemary) and then taken out. so yummy! definitely felt the long-lasting flavours in the end result. with the infused oil, i added my tomatoes (from a can) and let that become one with the oil. yes, it takes times, but i just went away and typed for a bit. 20 mins later, the "oil has seperated from the tomatoes" as the recipe called for and were ready for the chickpeas. only problem is, the chick peas we'ren't ready yet. so i took off the flavour pot and let the chick peas do it's thing.<br /><br />30 mins later, chick peas ready, i put them in, stired them around, waited 15 mins (while watching House MD with nikki) and then tossed in a bouillon cube and lots of water. ok, so i didn't follow the recipe to a T but i didn't want to melt the plastic of our measuring up with boiling water so i figured it was ok. stir stir stir. wait, more House, simmer simmer simmer. PRESTO! soup for the next day :) woohoo!!<br /><br />p.s. can i just say that i've just learnt another recipe that i'm sure to be making again soon??? only change is, i'll probablly end up making one of the variations because i think i need my soups less liquid and chuck -y -y and more creamy. but yum yum yum. i look forward to tucking into it tomorrow for lunch... ok, and dinner. i admit :P<br /><br />p.p.s. while waiting and watching house, i put on another pot of white beans in preparation for another pot of soup this week so there! cutting cooking time by doing this together. definitely a good thing for a student about to head into hell week.<br /><br />oh yeah, and i appologize for my MIA-ness. i'm trying to keep up with the posts and cooking, but let's just say, i'll be posting daily come chistmas vacation.<br /><br />one more down! only... oh, i don't know to go! hahaha!!victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632367532051704561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043975491256061644.post-7555057589945018052009-11-13T00:41:00.011-05:002009-11-14T09:46:53.312-05:00Beware the Gnocchi invasion!!!!!!!!! Best tomato sauce is coming in!!!!!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi5fOVWBvl54I6n3VPWNOmGhhJK2nqb0xAgIxFmydwf28DzS_gHOEE0RwOaK7yI85BndTfwJLiEe0BS4gxy8_U80yTC9BfJ215mq_bUEf2b4rUxEdnF9LrsxYsmk7uexQZKyPJxo4mNRw/s1600-h/P1010246.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 165px; height: 220px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi5fOVWBvl54I6n3VPWNOmGhhJK2nqb0xAgIxFmydwf28DzS_gHOEE0RwOaK7yI85BndTfwJLiEe0BS4gxy8_U80yTC9BfJ215mq_bUEf2b4rUxEdnF9LrsxYsmk7uexQZKyPJxo4mNRw/s200/P1010246.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403467734624349634" border="0" /></a>The Making<br />so, as i mentioned in my last post, making potato gnocchi while waiting for the soup is a good way to pass the time. i definitely don't suggest this to anyone who isn't patient and doesn't have a lot of time on their hands. gnocchi are a long process... something like a full movie's worth of time kinda long (and i mean intro AND final credits...) think of this as an exercise of relaxation. get into your gnocchi groove and the time will fly by. i haven't yet cooked them, but in 12 hours, when it's 12:46pm and time for lunch...<br /><insert dramatic="" dun="" here=""><br />gnocchi look like little... and i hate to say it...maggots. white-ish with a ribbed back. nikki totally agrees with me... i was showing her the first photo and we discussed it for a good 5 mins. while that not being so pleasant, i've been assured that they are very good. personally, my run-ins with gnocchi have not been great as i found them very dense and rather flavourless. i'm hoping this batch will change my mind. </insert><insert dramatic="" dun="" here="">i plan on cooking up "Tomato sauce with onion and butter" as suggested by the </insert><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPLMZPyrhv473UZaZQx8AkSAoLD9c6Npz7TxHlJgpjSfbiJsaeZEjKgCPbLR4AkBHKzpYPqB8Hepj_gS_OSq8OyOeUPiZlzE4UNIWcgVtKZJoLSRmg5ta4CQzlEVepIDjf8sP2GOsPTx0/s1600-h/P1010239.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPLMZPyrhv473UZaZQx8AkSAoLD9c6Npz7TxHlJgpjSfbiJsaeZEjKgCPbLR4AkBHKzpYPqB8Hepj_gS_OSq8OyOeUPiZlzE4UNIWcgVtKZJoLSRmg5ta4CQzlEVepIDjf8sP2GOsPTx0/s200/P1010239.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403478871594998770" border="0" /></a><insert dramatic="" dun="" here="">book for lunch tomorrow afternoon and will write about it then.</insert><br /><insert dramatic="" dun="" here=""><br />they are made with 2 things: potato and flour (hence my previous encounters being "dense") and sometimes egg, if necessary. first, the potato is boiled</insert><insert dramatic="" dun="" here=""> and then milled (or mashed in my case) into a smooth consistency at which point the flour is added and it's all kneeded into a smooth, but sticky ball. then ropes of dough and rolled out and "pillows" are made. each pillow is then rolled along the tines of a fork and voila, gnocchi is born.<br />i don't know about you, but i almost feel like most of mine look more like a cross between <span style="font-style: italic;">orrecchietti</span> for it's hollow nature, <span style="font-style: italic;">fusili</span> for it's length and <span style="font-style: italic;">gnocchi<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span></span></span>for it's ribbed nature. i acutally cheated and went in to "form" the ones that didn't look even semi-right...<br /><br />for those of you who will attempt to try this: (as i hope you all do...)<br /></insert><insert dramatic="" dun="" here="">- give yourself time. lots of time. i didn't realize how long it was taking until the end of the movie </insert><insert dramatic="" dun="" here="">started to come along and i still had 25 pillows to "roll".</insert><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2-Xs8AvRDg5U1pQYPH6q55LWQV2xCIkiLT-V-nNETytuUHLMYmX2lMbdfPqfzIZXvkw0nagiXP4yD-kM0p8ItiBWBJa7qP_RDdaSMK5EprwpEJT1vy-NuB56OcI9zDKVkt7ZQSZqfKU/s1600-h/P1010234.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 179px; height: 135px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2-Xs8AvRDg5U1pQYPH6q55LWQV2xCIkiLT-V-nNETytuUHLMYmX2lMbdfPqfzIZXvkw0nagiXP4yD-kM0p8ItiBWBJa7qP_RDdaSMK5EprwpEJT1vy-NuB56OcI9zDKVkt7ZQSZqfKU/s200/P1010234.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403468469088580370" border="0" /></a><br /><insert dramatic="" dun="" here="">- know that you'll need lots of clean surface and a pot of flour so as to make sure that you have space to place your growing gnocchi army and it doesn't stick to anything.<br /></insert><insert dramatic="" dun="" here="">- be sure to stick your fork into the flour every few pillows. it'll help avoid making a sticky smear down the tines.<br /></insert><insert dramatic="" dun="" here="">- dirty hands are inevitable so take of all rings BEFORE starting... trust me, i speak from first hand experience...<br /></insert><insert dramatic="" dun="" here="">- if you don't plan on cooking them right after y</insert><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL4bSg6l_oa_J1kMCCVS-P2FdFwqVLe9CeySfiHTgZpZHZLzh_kRgOW7q9ilL8gmgufqgdQK8-NImpqQ8R4mSBP_n6T8rlFzXgj8XgLt3WITutqq4bfhPegxlwYEldIaFhaxbpbpqeQzo/s1600-h/P1010235.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 135px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL4bSg6l_oa_J1kMCCVS-P2FdFwqVLe9CeySfiHTgZpZHZLzh_kRgOW7q9ilL8gmgufqgdQK8-NImpqQ8R4mSBP_n6T8rlFzXgj8XgLt3WITutqq4bfhPegxlwYEldIaFhaxbpbpqeQzo/s200/P1010235.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403469000541272498" border="0" /></a><insert dramatic="" dun="" here="">ou make them (or within the hour) place them onto floured pans that fit into your freezer and freeze them individually before placing them all into a bag and storing them for future use (otherwise, you'll end up with sticky mounds that won't listen to you as you try and pry them from a previously-floured-but-now-not-so-much table surface)<br />- expect yourself to feel like a <span style="font-style: italic;">nonna</span> or italian grandmother because i swear, no one does it like this in this century this anymore... it makes you really appreciate the fresh hand-made stuff that you see in the few fresh pasta shops in italy. though, i could see this being a good cooking party thing.,. (ok fine, maybe that's only me)<br /><br />The Verdict<br />failure :( i was so hoping that it would work out, but instead, while it was cooking, it turned into a a puddle of soft mushy-ness. looking back, it was probably because i didn't know how much 1.5 lbs of potato equaled in terms of whole pieces and didn't have a scale to measure, but now, despite the amount of time it takes to make them, i'm determined to do it properly. i know now what it's NOT supposed to be like, so i just have to work towards what i DOES have to look like.<br /><br />as for the sauce... OH MY GOODNESS!!!!!!!!!<br />i can't rave enough about the perfect harmony that is the sauce that i made for the gnocchi. it was so simple, so perfect, so magical. i mean, maybe it's just me, but if there are any of you out there who are blown away by a simple pasta sauce produced at your favourite italian restaurant, this may be it. it's NOT a marinara sauce. it's even more simple than that.<br />tomato, butter, salt and 1 onion cut in half sit together for 45 mins at a slow simmer to become the a perfection of harmony. i'm going to say that it forms the basis of pretty much any other sauce (at least i think). honestly people, sooooo good. i admit to ditching the gnocchi, toasting a piece of bread and throwing on an over-easy fried egg and calling it a meal. yum....<br /><br />too bad the gnocchi didn't turn out properly. oh well, i'll make it again and report back any thing i learn.<br /></insert>victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632367532051704561noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043975491256061644.post-8873701531528524382009-11-12T23:08:00.004-05:002009-11-13T00:40:00.558-05:00Zuppa di patata con delle cipolle soffocateHere to report that one more recipe has been accomplished and put into the repertoire of the dishes i can now make: Potato Soup with Smothered Onion -aka <span style="font-style: italic;">Zuppa di patata con cipolla soffocata</span> or"comfort in a bowl". (hahha, don't things sound better in italian???)<br /><br />this is another one for those of you who love the mashed potatoes during thanksgiving that have the creaminess of butter and the flavour of onions -yum.<br /><br />this one actually went down SUPER WELL! without mishaps and without stress. result - absolutely deliciously creamy soup. granted that it took me the better part of an evening, the results were well worth it. i now have homemade soup ready to defrost whenever i need an instant meal.<br /><br />the basic premises of the soup are 3 ingredients and time: potato, onions and broth (oh, and of course butter) become best friends over the better part of an hour then get squished together to help the creaminess of the soup. the cool this about this is that it doesn't call for a food mill, just a wooden spoon.<br /><br />some suggestions i'd have for this recipe are:<br />- cut the amount of butter and oil in half: personally, it was just a little too rich for me<br />- if you don't have homemade broth, use your favourite canned or cubed beef broth. i think what marcella was going for here was that it should be rather light as you don't want that flavour to over power that of the onions and potatoes<br /><br />some considerations when making it:<br />- this recipe takes a while to make and shouldn't be rushed. do it on a lazy saturday or sunday afternoon and make some other stuff (like potato gnocchi!!) while waiting<br />- when going in to squish the potatoes, wear your dishwashing glove and avoid the possibility of getting burnt with the splashes<br />- if squishing annoys you, you can always pull out a potato masher (if you have one) and go for a chunky consistency; this is faster, but be sure that the soup isn't bubbling when you do it otherwise you'll definitely get burnt<br /><br />ok, that's it! hope you enjoy!<br />(13 down, 506 to go)<br /><br />p.s. i'll post photos when i canvictoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632367532051704561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043975491256061644.post-6774644597000647802009-11-10T23:17:00.001-05:002009-11-10T23:26:40.993-05:00official count12 recipes down, 507 to go<br />7 months and countingvictoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632367532051704561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043975491256061644.post-84535967455476408152009-11-09T21:24:00.006-05:002009-11-10T23:27:59.440-05:00All chicken-ed out... - part 2: lauren's birthdaylauren's a friend of mine whose birthday happens to fall on a week that i wasn't going to be in town. to make up for missing the festivities over the weekend, i invited her and 1 or 2 of her closest friends to come to my place for dinner. she requested polenta, a long long time ago in passing while having lunch one afternoon so i used that as the basis of my meal.<br /><br />polenta, according to Marcella's book, is great for anything braissed. ok, i had bought a pork roast to braise, but ended up with too much 1/2 cooked browned chicken from halloween so i thought it better to make it into something. so, i settled on Chicken Cacciatora, New Version.<br /><br />on the menu for the dinner:<br />- asiago dip with fresh carrots<br />- warm polenta topped with fork-tender chicken cacciatore<br />- baked raddicchio for contrast<br />- fresh pear tart as a birthday cake<a href="post-edit.g?blogID=3043975491256061644&postID=8453596745547640815#" style="display: inline;" id="hide-labels-link" onclick="BLOG_hideLabels(); return false">Hide all</a><br /><br />asiago dip with fresh carrots:<br />yup, used up some of those 10 lbs of carrots to make a not-so-heavy version of bread or bread sticks available on every italian table. i'll admit, the dip was from the super market. i was going to make a ricotta and anchovy crostini when i shied away and opted for a less odd thing of pre-made dip.<br /><br />warm polenta:<br />polenta is a corn based grain "sponge" used to absorb flavours of whatever is around it. a staple comfort food for any true italian -- or so i've been told. i have to say, if you've never made it before, it's actually quite a nerve racking experience, especially if you've never done it before. add in the element of "guests" and you've got yourself a fiasco... yup, you guessed it, welcome to 7:15pm Nov. 2nd, London Hall, rm 510, kitchen.<br /><br />lauren and her boyfriend were supposed to be coming over for 8pm for her pre-birthday dinner. having horror stories of yellow rubber flowing through my head, i thought it smart to make the polenta at the very last minute, ie 7:15 start boiling the water with a projected finished time around 8:05pm when it would have to be spooned directly onto the plates and served. great plan, i swear! except that....<br />a) boiling water with polenta grains = super-heated mini canon balls of yellow goop that fly, stick and burn anything they touch; BE CAREFUL!! my cookbook definitely started it's battle wounds that night when yellow clods of 1/2 cooked polenta flew onto it and my hands as i tried to continuously stir it while it was boiling at med. temp. very bad idea on my part.<br />b) whenever you think water will boil quickly, it never does meaning that i finished making it around 8:15 and not 8:05<br />c) your making 2 other dishes at the same time and your room mate needs the oven to make dinner. the chicken was braising on the stove -which, based on my 1st attempt of chicken and red cabbage, i was watching like a hawk- while i was prepping the radicchio for it's bake in the oven. then nikki says "how long are you going to be using the oven? i need to make dinner..." to which i respond, "uh.... um.... i was going to use it till tonight was over?" obviously i didn't but that meant a whole bunch of time calculations to make sure that i wasn't going to be serving dinner at 10pm...<br />d) your cookbook's ratios differ from the ones of the package you bought<br />e) you think you've over salted the entire thing -- thankfully, it wasn't the case and i just compensated by under saltig the sauce of the chicken<br /><br />lots of things can go wrong, i swear... but it all turned out fine in the end :)<br /><br />all crisis averted (at least on my part) when, at 8:15, i start cursing because my guests haven't arrived yet and every minute that passes, the polenta's ultimate fate of yellow rubber draws closer. at 8:20, i decide that i'm not going to let it become a pot-shapped mass of yellow and grab a square baking dish and make a cake of it. served it in a puddle of the chicken sauce, hidden under a chicken piece and topped with some fresh green parsley.<br /><br />chicken cacciatore, new version:<br />with the extra pieces of browned chicken from the halloween dinner, i took all the juice and fat that was at the bottom of the bowl and used that as the beginning of the flavour base for the sauce (i know, not exactly as it was written in the book, but i just couldn't pass up on infusing more flavour into the dish). then added the onions and garlic. deglazed with the wine and added a can of crushed tomatoes. adjusted the seasonings and placed the chicken back in to cook slowly. just before serving, i found the sauce to be too monotonous, so i threw in large diced very ripe tomato which was the perfect thing because it balanced everything and removed the "from can" taste that i felt was coming through. under close supervision, no mishaps occured and the chicken was ready when i was.<br /><br />baked radicchio:<br />apparently this is not a vegetable that people know as neither lauren nor kyle, her bf, knew what it was when i asked them. for those of you who don't know, it looks like a very small red cabbage with white ribs. its has a bitter taste when eaten raw, but baking it mellows it out a little. i served this as a dish on it's own, after the polenta and chicken, using it's bitter notes to cut through the creamy-ness of the polenta and rich sauce.<br />i basically cut each head into quaters and tossed it with some olive oil, salt and pepper and baked it at a super high heat. the result? soft, mellow radicchio with just a touch of bitterness - perfect for a beginner's palate. i drizzled some extra olive oil on it before serving and a small grating of fresh parmigianno. it was well recieved.<br /><br />farmer's wifes' fresh pear tart:<br />seeing as it was a birthday, a cake was definitely in order. pears are now in season, so, why not? fresh pear tart it was.<br />i chose smaller ones, seeing as everything else in the cookbook called for small things, but in the end, it really didn't make a difference. what does make a difference, however, is the ripeness of your fruit. for example, the pears i took were sweet, but didn't have the full pear-flavour yet so the cake ended up being a little bland for my liking but i added a light dusting of icing sugar to the top which helped.<br />i fear that this was not the best dessert for the end of this meal because it just didn't stand up to the other strong flavours that were just presented. kyle brought a bottle of YellowTail bubbly, which helped bring out the pear flavour, but just couldn't cut through it all.<br /><br />All in all, i think that this menu was great, save the dessert. i should have gone for a cool gelato like i wanted to, but i didn't listen to my initial instincts and had a good tasting, but not 100% fitted dessert. oh well, next time.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9MsqM4eps3PH-BDIm6q85NM8-z6jjgMclNgc1uaKv6JO4d96rAZYm9JaAqQ1DoXISF2XfzarV4ZGlEvr2IvwHtyJi2W7zz5GwP2kPZS1Qcr-eB2n5qhGeCcRlggjMcy3ClqFcxCozikU/s1600-h/IMG_4208.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9MsqM4eps3PH-BDIm6q85NM8-z6jjgMclNgc1uaKv6JO4d96rAZYm9JaAqQ1DoXISF2XfzarV4ZGlEvr2IvwHtyJi2W7zz5GwP2kPZS1Qcr-eB2n5qhGeCcRlggjMcy3ClqFcxCozikU/s200/IMG_4208.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402689257578693746" border="0" /></a>Farmer's Wifes' Fresh Pear Tart<br /></div>victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632367532051704561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043975491256061644.post-32128562519515298912009-11-09T15:00:00.009-05:002009-11-09T21:24:08.700-05:00All chicken-ed out... - part 1: halloween<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYegaMkZePpH-y5AndNywIARWxCIvQTwNUETpVRREaaY2JAA4rhOuuq6vQROjE2P52P1xmXqv0FtsWNwhnRAT6DpWs9mt5Do7afNqxCi6MpMT6MX715wiu62yeSGXj4ENLBiv5d_xfLcg/s1600-h/IMG_4199.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYegaMkZePpH-y5AndNywIARWxCIvQTwNUETpVRREaaY2JAA4rhOuuq6vQROjE2P52P1xmXqv0FtsWNwhnRAT6DpWs9mt5Do7afNqxCi6MpMT6MX715wiu62yeSGXj4ENLBiv5d_xfLcg/s200/IMG_4199.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402293727565888338" border="0" /></a>after two full meals revolving around the lovely art of braised chicken, i think i can satisfactorily say that i am all chicken-ed out.<br /><br />up first: Chicken Fricasse with Red Cabbage<br /><br />wishing to stun my halloween guests with an incredible dish that used seasonal ingredients, the Chicken Fricasse with Red Cabbage seemed to fit the bill very well. Plus, it gave me a chance to use my "new" food processor!! i mean, 4 cups shedded cabbage??? 1 cup onions sliced very thin??? who's got time for that?!? I DO!! with my 1980s food processor!! hahaha!! whatever, it got the job done and i couldn't have asked for more. so here's how this one went down in history.<br /><br />after a morning of vegging out infront of the tv with my room mate Nikki, we decide that it's about time for us to go to the supermarket and lcbo to buy what we need for the party at our place tonight. list in hand, we head out the door and to the car.<br /><br />on the menu:<br />- hand made butternut squash ravioli with goat cheese, pecans and a sage butter sauce (made by nikki)<br />- Chicken Fricasse with Red Cabbage (by me)<br /><br />first stop, lcbo. relatively uneventful, minus the phone call from my dad when i finally said to him that i was buying wine for a party i was having that night. first time ever saying that i was buying alcohol for non-parental use... weird. bought a nice red table wine that served well in both the dish and for dinner drinking, some port and an argentinian rose.<br /><br />next stop, no frills. whoot! i officially feel sorry for anyone who has to go grocery shopping with me. it takes forever!!! and i buy the most ridiculous things -- like 10lbs of carrots... yup, still sitting in my fridge. i figure, if stored properly, they should last me a while... right? but, after almost 2 hours in there, nikki and i emerge victorious with enough food to feed an army! (aka 8 university students)<br /><br />our final stop is a small cooking store where i pick up a ravioli wheel then we zoom back home and begin an afternoon of cooking.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">i don the chef coat (which doubles as my costume), put my hair in pigtails and begin to feel like a female equivalent of jaime oliver -- chopping, pulsing, sauteing and moving about the kitchen. we've pulled out the dining table that became the ravioli headquarters while our kitchen became my battlezone of cabbage, onion and garlic. with the help of another friend, karam, i fire up the stove and start heating the pan.<br /></div><br />because of pan constraints, i had to cook the chicken and the sauce in the same pan, so i guess i modified the recipe as i had all the "little brown bits" in the pan before adding the onions to saute. after karam processed my onions and cabbage, i followed the recipe until i had to leave it to 40 mins to simmer.... that's when, at the 30 min mark, i noticed the acrid smell of burnt something in the air and raced back to the stove to check... sure enough, the bottom of the pan was encrusted with a thick layer of burnt-ness. CRAP!!!!! it was already 5:00 and we were supposed to be having dinner at 6:30!!! and the sauce needed 40 mins without the chicken and another 40 with the chicken!! so, without a hesitation, i reached for bowl, took out what i could of the non-burnt cabbage and went to scrape the pan clean to start from the beginning as i wouldn't have anything to serve if i didn't.<br /><br />knowing the steps definitly helped as the world around me became a blur and the methodical chop-chop-chop sound of the knife on the chopping board became all i could hear. somewhere around me, nikki was asking for my help in making ravioli -- something i've never done before, so i pointed her to the book. pan heated and oil in, i waited for the onions and garlic to turn a deep golden, which happened soon enough. then i threw in the half-cooked cabbage from the burnt dish and cooked that down for a few minutes. after that, deglazing with the red wine and more simmer time. sure enough, by the time the chicken went in, the sauce was dark purple and definitely on the sweet side. in when the chicken, whose flesh was instantly stained a deep purple, turning them almost unappealing. they were so beautifully golden before and now not :( it made me sad... but 30 mins later, at a slow simmer, the chicken was done. i turned off the heat and let the residual heat keep on cooking the chicken as we enjoyed a glass of wine or two while waiting for others to arrive. by the time it was served, the chicken was tender but slightly firm. i don't know whether or not it was done correctly, but the flavour was there and that, is all that counted. i do however, think that i need to work on the presentation of the dish. (sorry i can't show it right now, the left overs are in the freezer and i forgot to grab a picture as i was serving it)<br /><br />it still amazes me how such few ingredients can create such a wholesome dish. you just need some time... and by some, i mean lots...<br /><br />as for the ravioli making, the only thing i really did was point nikki in the right direction. i mean, i knew in theory how to make ravioli stuffing, the pasta part and how to put it together, but the actual hands that touched it, were her's. they turned out perfect, by the way, and were gobbled up as quickly as they were being sauteed in their sage butter and topped with pecans and goat's cheese. (ok fine, yes, it was me doing that part, but only because nikki was already well on her way in a bottle of wine... good times, good times.)<br /><br />up next: lauren's birthday<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCOko4QdSePJSaDFoSWxnhs1Ddz-vwneJFLDC3E6INXciKPgr1PShM58WhyphenhyphenYialyXyYIaPNLWx2wWzh9ZtOtu5Klt95C0kznjt_EoedA4ytsBKl8pnH71VHK4PU0f_gFrsFX12eTzNmsA/s1600-h/IMG_4180.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCOko4QdSePJSaDFoSWxnhs1Ddz-vwneJFLDC3E6INXciKPgr1PShM58WhyphenhyphenYialyXyYIaPNLWx2wWzh9ZtOtu5Klt95C0kznjt_EoedA4ytsBKl8pnH71VHK4PU0f_gFrsFX12eTzNmsA/s200/IMG_4180.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402292537905510514" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIulDztfV7z637rUW_jBmVccFyVWettRhWjyd_tgcNo3I9QdEO2ZBLRa8ijDqSDmijHvSPPc1jWqkqIx2txs4pgfox2TjWpPYms0wqOQb6_AA89EE8ncc40qiu5cedsOvVnHMFCRPc8T4/s1600-h/IMG_4181.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIulDztfV7z637rUW_jBmVccFyVWettRhWjyd_tgcNo3I9QdEO2ZBLRa8ijDqSDmijHvSPPc1jWqkqIx2txs4pgfox2TjWpPYms0wqOQb6_AA89EE8ncc40qiu5cedsOvVnHMFCRPc8T4/s200/IMG_4181.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402292539822543714" border="0" /></a>nikki making the ravioli pasta<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFjugfSh-DbK3NWbEsm3FlK907lB_UF4zKJsu1XOzrreECBDB6IHLKmlrf32FHFtFOagh2iRwPINvnJ24yx6suU5Z3B1V9IlJ0gMVeRQKInMDrmAMiAjgNvmLecjMCZrjHsoaRCsyCNtY/s1600-h/IMG_4183.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFjugfSh-DbK3NWbEsm3FlK907lB_UF4zKJsu1XOzrreECBDB6IHLKmlrf32FHFtFOagh2iRwPINvnJ24yx6suU5Z3B1V9IlJ0gMVeRQKInMDrmAMiAjgNvmLecjMCZrjHsoaRCsyCNtY/s200/IMG_4183.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402292550325812162" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgons9AyR9k4GXSv-HlIW2OaWi1KhyzP-XZTXgcOyuOXjldzqsIIQ-b-Eb6JT6IH9xg_XputPKvtLlKLdgylxkefCJ9GWGu3lbRE9iTFJ5XqZUVsh8C9q2lR1YKYQNb87tqPHo3_4ejJgk/s1600-h/IMG_4185.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgons9AyR9k4GXSv-HlIW2OaWi1KhyzP-XZTXgcOyuOXjldzqsIIQ-b-Eb6JT6IH9xg_XputPKvtLlKLdgylxkefCJ9GWGu3lbRE9iTFJ5XqZUVsh8C9q2lR1YKYQNb87tqPHo3_4ejJgk/s200/IMG_4185.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402293716739434658" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-C2mYMlTLc3SaT8jhQgGIRoHoe7TnLllzS8LWewYiBnwFoJZFjAISkJfWZ5u-4-joaAuUhqDhoMmAORawF2lvr7gU0ciI-4vM5UmLRt_jUW4finXL5MEIPiBrTPs_6evzbi0viQnK0cA/s1600-h/IMG_4189.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-C2mYMlTLc3SaT8jhQgGIRoHoe7TnLllzS8LWewYiBnwFoJZFjAISkJfWZ5u-4-joaAuUhqDhoMmAORawF2lvr7gU0ciI-4vM5UmLRt_jUW4finXL5MEIPiBrTPs_6evzbi0viQnK0cA/s200/IMG_4189.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402292555800124930" border="0" /></a>the chaos that was preparing the chicken<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkV0Iw-HnX1FYRzxYEQ0vINKFk1MqCdSPTTorqOWVm08Wu9_fiqJ5HamoikxuEwvbWkp-gY2-giTcpHK8ESRrpUL2jLOJSlbSBa_hQzf-K4j0G_LjktnUPuwvSt3HximRBBkFdMGCyrK0/s1600-h/IMG_4190.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkV0Iw-HnX1FYRzxYEQ0vINKFk1MqCdSPTTorqOWVm08Wu9_fiqJ5HamoikxuEwvbWkp-gY2-giTcpHK8ESRrpUL2jLOJSlbSBa_hQzf-K4j0G_LjktnUPuwvSt3HximRBBkFdMGCyrK0/s200/IMG_4190.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402292557844146962" border="0" /></a>the ravioli before cooking<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3q71HnWgWmfVzItuFdgzN_V_w8tDEvTSDUlcm3BJDabpLH_AfkzvFXFgsyTty2v6i7JSbjrEgdHXp9TlUsT6pueMTf8kqUYZ-RtsrgDlFhHVToZK9MFXTYYP5Q2-xmXEI1jvjIW7Ik-E/s1600-h/IMG_4195.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3q71HnWgWmfVzItuFdgzN_V_w8tDEvTSDUlcm3BJDabpLH_AfkzvFXFgsyTty2v6i7JSbjrEgdHXp9TlUsT6pueMTf8kqUYZ-RtsrgDlFhHVToZK9MFXTYYP5Q2-xmXEI1jvjIW7Ik-E/s200/IMG_4195.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402294786287229026" border="0" /></a><br />me having way too much fun...<br /><br /></div>victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632367532051704561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043975491256061644.post-2185077947365980032009-11-03T09:44:00.005-05:002009-11-03T12:43:53.898-05:00When life gives you lemons, make.... chicken with two lemons, of course!!!<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1PSoczk-cYB8lbD35vT2c4fCSwwj8RkNZyfdIJam6E12mM3chDaGFi597pbxFy9Fa-fagCHp6PyXrk8f8VkfAhd_oQ7D-TOHrYo4kh2nsp3RkryDJXkmt6ODlr8WtyEW8mlFM-yYkPTY/s1600-h/IMG_4177.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1PSoczk-cYB8lbD35vT2c4fCSwwj8RkNZyfdIJam6E12mM3chDaGFi597pbxFy9Fa-fagCHp6PyXrk8f8VkfAhd_oQ7D-TOHrYo4kh2nsp3RkryDJXkmt6ODlr8WtyEW8mlFM-yYkPTY/s320/IMG_4177.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399896219599888482" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Pollo a due limoni</span><br /><br /></div>So I've been a little MIA for the last few weeks with the beginning of two weeks of utter hell, BUT, that doesn't mean I haven't forgotten about the 514 recipes to go...<br /><br />And on that note, I bought 1 whole chicken and 2 lemons (as the name of the recipe indicates). I followed the procedures exactly but for some strange strange reason, it didn't turn out the way it was supposed to... ie, the lemons, that were supposed to have turned a soft golden brown, remained as they were when i first put them in!?! BUT, the chicken, as promised, was extremely juice so i guess not all was lost. i'm starting to suspect that she was using a normal oven where as i am using a microwave convection oven...<br /><br />the premise of the dish is this: take a whole chicken, put two beatup and poked lemons inside, bake and wait for magic to occur. great, i mean, how bad can that be, right?<br /><br />WRONG!!<br /><br />my chicken definitely came out as juicy as promised, but that beautiul lemony brightness hadn't infused the entire chicken and the lemon had NOT turned into the so-said "by now" light golden browness called for in the recipe. what did i do wrong?!?! i swear i followed the recipe as it said!!!... well, sorta...<br /><br />my chicken WAS a little smaller than what was asked for and my lemons where HUGE in comparison. i mean, there was NO way that 2 were entering that chicken... let alone one... can anyone say homone-enhanced GMO??? but, as with anything, i charged ahead hoping that it would turn out well.<br />can i just say how strange it is to have to <span style="font-style: italic;">wash</span> the <span style="font-style: italic;">inside</span> of a chicken? you feel the ribs along your palm, the dark coolness enveloping your hand, all under the impression that any time now, your chicken is going to go flying out of your hands because it's a little slippery with the skin and the fat... great feeling, really. try it if you haven't...<br />so, after washing, pat drying (again, something i don't usually do to chickens... you know, maybe myself after a shower, but not a chicken...) and seasoning both the outside AND the inside (yup, more dark cool goodness), i turned my attention to the lemons. "roll and poke with at least 20 holes" ok, i can do that. roll i did. it's actually really cool how you can feel the inside segments of the lemon breaking down as you roll it along the countertop. i took the prescribed fork and with a force like no other, proceeded to perferate the skins of the lemon. poke, poke, poke. CRAP my frok wasn't making anything but DENTS in the skin, time for reinforcements. out come the steak knife. "THERE WILL BE HOLES IN THIS LEMON IF ITS THE LAST THING I DO!!!"<br /><br />the perferated lemons are now sitting on the counter waiting to be placed into the chicken cavity, when i encounter the problem of actually getting both lemons to fit. i thought that if i flipped it over and pushed as hard as i could on the lemons entering from the back, it would pop out the front and enough space would be had. boy, was i ever wrong. no matter how hard i pushed, the lemons would go no where!! in the end, i could only fit one in and put the 2nd one back in the fridge (where it proceeded to create a sticky puddle of juice :S ) i carefully put in my well seasoned, well loved chicken in hopes that it would puff up and become this magnificent roast fowl that i could show off here... opps, when i went to turn it, the skin on the breast ripped a bit and dasked that hope :(<br /><br />1.5 hrs later, out came the chicken, smelling sooooooo goood but much to hot to handle, so i let it sit for 15 mins before pulling out the steak kinfe again and carving off a leg... YUM!!! the meat was so juicey and succulent, but lacked in the lemon flavours that i caught closer to where the lemon actually sat.<br /><br />here are some alterations i would do for the next time:<br />- buy a bigger chicken<br />- buy smaller lemons<br />- wedge up the lemon and use that inside the chicken (it wouldn't matter if it touched the roof of the chicken cavity, because it would start on on surface and roll over when you go to flip the chicken)<br />- i know that the recipe doesn't call for any fats of any kind, but to prevent the skin from sticking to the pan, i think a little butter on the breast of the chicken in the first part of the cooking process would prevent it from sticking<br /><br />with that ends the 514th recipe, meaning 513 to go!victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632367532051704561noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043975491256061644.post-36673713513018667472009-10-22T19:04:00.008-04:002009-10-23T11:50:36.556-04:00The tale of 2 pork chops: from a soupy destiny to braised... imperfection?a pair of pork chops have been staring at me for the past week waiting for their time to be made into <em>Pasta e Fagioli </em>soup, but alas, midterm season has come and sit they did...UNTIL TODAY! :D<br /><br /><div>i had 45 mins before having to go to work and knowing that it wasn't worth it for me to start studying, i decided that pre-making dinner was a good idea. out comes Essentials and directly to "pork chops" i turn. i don't have any white wine sitting around but i did have some fresh sage, so i decided on <em>Braised Pork Chops with Sage and Toma</em><em>toes, Modena Style</em> with <em>Sauteed Broccoli with Olive Oil and Garlic</em>. i thought i'd leave the pork chops to braise on low heat while i was at work and the broccoli should only take a few minutes to sautee once i got back, so, why not?</div><br /><div>notes to the wise:<br /><br /></div>-<strong> read through the ENTIRE recipe BEFORE starting it...</strong> definitely didn't do that and spent the first 5 mins running around the kitchen like a mad woman trying to coat the pork chop with flour that wasn't read, heat the butter and oil that looked already as if it were going too brown, de-flower and peel the broccoli, set a pot of water to boil and not burn down the building<br /><div>- <strong>don't try to do a million things if you don't have the process down pat</strong>, but, who was i to know??? they seem to be fine doing it on the tv...</div><br /><div>so, after 5 mins of mayhem in the kitchen, i decide to close the water and just deal with it later. the pork chops are read to go into the pan and the fats have been heated to med/high. in goes the chops... brown goes everything in the pan!! and out comes huge smoke!! ahhh!!! what went wrong!?!?! oh, did i mention that i forgot to throw in fresh sage at the same time? oops... fresh sage leaves were plucked and thrown in after the chops had already been in for 2 mins and they immediately shrivled up to burnt-looking things... uh oh... now what? on with the show?</div><div></div><br /><div>"Cook the chops to a rich brown on both sides,..." ok, so i flip the chops and wait... oops maybe i took the "rich brown" a little too much to heart? i was standing there wondering if i had managed to ruin the dish. i hope not... 15 mins till i had to leave for work :S</div><div></div><br /><div>i added the rest of the ingredients and can i just say, tomatoes can work magic... they made everything look so perfect. rustic and right. woohoo!! i turned the heat down to low and let them braise for another 5 mins before turning off the heat completely, plating it, taking a picture throwing it back in the pot and heading down to work.</div><div></div><br /><div>i managed to try a bit right before leaving and it tasted really good actually. but, not very sage-y (i don't think that's a word). maybe i should have tried adding the sage in a second before adding the pork chops to infuse the fats a little before adding the pork. oh well, maybe next time?</div><div></div><br /><div>p.s. for all the students, this dish is not only affordable (a grand total of maybe ~5$ for 2 porkchop meals) but it's super fast! it took me all of 15mins from beginning to end (and that was even with me prepping the broccoli as i went along). try it out. tell me what you think. </div><div> </div><br /><div>(well, without braising time? but, i didn't really do that and it turned out fine)<br /></div><br /><div>i'm going to say that if i tweaked my timing a little, this dish is just so... italy. simple with great ingredients and a warm feeling :) can't beat that on a cold night.</div><br /><div></div>the adventures with broccoli are far less amusing, but not any less tasty. because i was going to let the broccoli sit out for a little while, i did take it out right before it was fork-tender to let the residual heat "cook" it while i was at work. result = perfectly green and crisp broccoli ready for a quick visit to the pan for it's final dressing. YUM! now THAT, is broccoli! :D<br /><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFZY6ZG86d9_hyphenhyphen3m5yp9XMe39_JRTS-Wq9mcJZEEK-gq4DQdNOWtoEc7zT1gMzXqMXIlNvc34lufrIMmD1o5_al6-jhyHMgDU1C5ZsmBKf514zzBcnDVER6k1rBF9EoLNENoZpJfG9mg/s1600-h/IMG_4162.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFZY6ZG86d9_hyphenhyphen3m5yp9XMe39_JRTS-Wq9mcJZEEK-gq4DQdNOWtoEc7zT1gMzXqMXIlNvc34lufrIMmD1o5_al6-jhyHMgDU1C5ZsmBKf514zzBcnDVER6k1rBF9EoLNENoZpJfG9mg/s320/IMG_4162.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395822576807128914" border="0" /></a><em>Braised Pork Chops with Sage and Toma</em><em>toes, Modena Style</em> </div></div>victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632367532051704561noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043975491256061644.post-57181007744340675882009-10-20T17:26:00.001-04:002009-10-20T17:31:06.466-04:00IT HAS ARRIVED!!!!!!!!!!ESSENTIALS <span style="font-style: italic;">of</span> ITALIAN COOKING HAS ARRIVED TO LONDON HALL!!!!!!!<br /><br />up until now, i've been using a copy from the local library, but today, a lovely package was waiting for me in the mail when i went to check. my very own copy of the italian cooking bible has arrived. now, i don't have to worry about when i have to return it again! :D<br /><br />otherwise, on the domain of cooking, RAVIOLI.<br /><br />instead of a huge halloween party, my roommate and i are doing a ravioli party and will try to recreate her favourite dish from milestones (butternut squash ravioli with glazed pecans, sage butter and cumbled goat cheese) while basing our study on the principles set forth by marcella.<br /><br />can't wait!victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632367532051704561noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043975491256061644.post-31747249982530156952009-10-18T13:15:00.007-04:002009-10-18T17:37:12.215-04:003 down, 515 to go!<span style="font-family: georgia;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >Well, after procrastinating for about a week, I finally decided to get down to make my first recipes.</span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:130%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >As a cook, I don't usually follow recipes well. I read them, understand the big picture, then go about making the dish my way. For the intents of this project, I am trying to stick to the recipes as written - which, for someone like me, if MIGHTY difficult.</span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:130%;" ><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" ><br />Minestrina Tricolore</span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >: potato soup with carrots and celery</span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:130%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >after visiting Loblaws to pick up some missing ingredients (and a new heavy bottom saute pan, cover and herb bush) I peeled my potatoes, put on the water and started the boil. Woohoo!! Step 1 done without a hitch. Now on to step 2...</span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:130%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >Onions, carrots, celery and oil are all things I am very familiar with in the kitchen. I tend to over use the OCC and under use the oil, just because I'm like that. So, when the recipe called for the complete reversal of my norm, I definitely had problems. i mean, who uses ONLY 3tbsp of OCC?!? really, com'on now! and then, on top of that, they called for BUTTER?!?! the dreaded light yellow brick that seems so familiar to my brother-in-law and sister but is almost as dreaded as the plague in my house... moral dilemma. what to do? what to do?!? but, as it WAS called for in the recipe, i went ahead and used it... AND WHAT A DIFFERENCE IT MAKES!!! wow! i mean, brown butter definitely has that nutty taste that all the chefs rave about. definitely try it if you haven't.</span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:130%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >proceeded to do the rest of the recipe without a hick-up and, before i knew it, i was done. standing in front of my very first marcella recipe. it was a strange, yet satisfying feeling. knowing that i'd conquered some of my "fears" and understood WHY it was only 3tbsp of each... it just makes the soup quite pretty.</span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:130%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >All in all, definitely a recipe i would recommend for anyone to make, especially as the days get colder.</span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:130%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >oh, one other thing. the recipe calls for a "food mill" but definitely don't have one (maybe at christmas? still not 100% convinced that i need one) so i used my hand blender that i stole from home, on the "ok" from my "italian mother" (she says that if one does not have a food mill or a </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >passaverdura</span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >, one can use a food processor instead -- also something i don't have, but will hopefully be getting soon) while i have never conciously had a soup that was made specifically with a food mill, i'm going to say that it probablly turns out a little more creamy than mine did. when i looked at the soup, i was expecting velvety goodness, but i was a little dissapointed with the almost granular texture that was produced. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:130%;" ><br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >i think the next time i make this soup (which is definitely going to be sometime this season) i'll try passing it through a fine mesh strainer or, even better, a newly procured </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >passaverdura</span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >.</span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:130%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >Finocchio</span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" > - 2 ways</span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:130%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >i love fennel. i really do. usually i toss it up with a splash of fresh orange juice, white balsamic vinegar, EVOO, salt and pepper. mmm... yum. but here, they called to braise it with either EVOO or butter/Parmesan.</span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:130%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >not wanting to make a whole bunch of stuff i may or may not like, i took the time to make 1 slice of EVOO braised fennel and 1 slice of butter/Parmesan. it paid off because while both had this beautifully creamy texture at the end, i have to say that i liked the fresh stuff the most. of the two, EVOO was better, but maybe it's because i screwed up the butter one... i don't know, but i'll might try it out again later.</span>victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632367532051704561noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043975491256061644.post-5686642289648852042009-10-14T21:53:00.004-04:002009-10-17T23:09:57.347-04:00finocchio e la PastaQueenconfession: i've been living off of canned food for the past few days<br /><br />new reality: FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD!!!!!!!! (check out the attached photo as a testament :P)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcAgfE6urbbELq_EN2Bo7Riw1whx8zVATrkk9Bm4Z_NSLLmiSo2aw6axe1_3jwhG0MvN60xxfguVbkBar8knNZiIi8nL5ONJAjHpQ6hpc4pbuDg_n2hznFuo3lqk47NmW_WrcdQK14rzE/s1600-h/IMG_4145.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcAgfE6urbbELq_EN2Bo7Riw1whx8zVATrkk9Bm4Z_NSLLmiSo2aw6axe1_3jwhG0MvN60xxfguVbkBar8knNZiIi8nL5ONJAjHpQ6hpc4pbuDg_n2hznFuo3lqk47NmW_WrcdQK14rzE/s320/IMG_4145.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392659288513430546" border="0" /></a><br /><br />today marks the first of many days to come that i will actually be making dishes that are in the book as i have FINALLY gotten myself to a supermarket and can FINALLY start cooking like a real person! (only problem is, midterms hang in the near future...)<br /><br />on the menu: braised <span style="font-style: italic;">finocchio</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">minestrina tricolore</span><br />(well, i'll have to get some potatoes, but whatever)<br /><br />also, i have a new pasta machine!! it will be making it's debut performace shortly so definitely keep an eye out for it! but getting it, now that's another story...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjriSlBu-dbry1zkidnGN4ofbmkmCL5zTY1mY03ZHAtx8sKbVXlX1QpEFhSUEZ_nFzhx9F53YSMZIBzk-IXzlRc7sILA50swNrSQ6VJmhVXb8OhQ_Rg4l1iPmzrkuV-damBO9or0fdU1TE/s1600-h/IMG_4147.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjriSlBu-dbry1zkidnGN4ofbmkmCL5zTY1mY03ZHAtx8sKbVXlX1QpEFhSUEZ_nFzhx9F53YSMZIBzk-IXzlRc7sILA50swNrSQ6VJmhVXb8OhQ_Rg4l1iPmzrkuV-damBO9or0fdU1TE/s320/IMG_4147.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392659278256527170" border="0" /></a>The PastaQueen moves in...<br />this story starts a few days ago when i was searching on kijiji for some 2nd hand kitchen appliances that i needed to complete the book. i found a "made in italy" one for $15 and, while i have one at home, couldn't let this incredible opportunity pass. so, when my roommate asked if i wanted to go to the grocery store with her, i saw my chance and seized it!<br /><br />as my roommate and i were going for this grocery run when i get an email from the seller of the pasta maker that i have today and tomorrow from 6-8pm to pick it up if i still want it. not wanting to miss out on a "made in italy" pasta maker, i ask if it's at all possible for us to get it on our way to the supermarket. as luck would have it, it was actually sorta on the way there and we were able to pass by. (if not, i was going to figure it out tomorrow)<br /><br />as we're driving towards the place, my roommate starts telling me that this place is known for being the rough area in london and fair enough; it was in the middle of god-know's-where booneyville london!!!!!!!!! she tells me of how her boyfriend's cousin, who's a cop, would always have to come out there to check on something or do something in general... :S what was i thinking!! i was totally going to do this on my own... but uh... yay for bestest best roommates!!!<br />we're driving more and more into this place and the only thought that's going through my head (and her's too apparently) was "WHERE ARE WE AND HOW DO I GET OUT?!?!"<br /><br />so, with google driving direction in hand, we find the illusive house and pull over.<br /><br />twilight. dark shapes and shadows move about with nothing but the russling leaves around us. me, being me, thought i could do this on my own, but thankfully, my roommate asked to come along and so, we got out of the car and approached the door. up a narrow driveway, with dried plants encroaching on the pavement. knock knock. no answer. knock knock. noise inside. we wait.<br /><br />the door is opened by this smiling non-ganster looking grandmother type person and i ask, "hi, are you debra?" yup, found the house and although arriving rather unexpectedly, she welcomes us in and we wait in her front foyer. a fat cat sits down the hallway and lazily stares at us while my roommate and i discuss in a rather falsely cheereful voice the pros and cons of some miscellaneous subject. finally, the person re-appears with the pasta maker in hand and all i can say is "pheeewww.... can we go now?"<br /><br />and off we go, back to the car, and room away to the supermarket.<br /><br />oh, the adventures this project is bringing me.<br /><br />i can't wait to get my own copy of the book in the mail! i'm currently using a library book until mine arrives, but heheheheh :D so excited!!victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632367532051704561noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043975491256061644.post-74978962639272001242009-10-13T23:11:00.000-04:002009-10-13T23:12:30.134-04:00check out some of marcella's recipes on your own :)http://www.dolcevita.com/cuisine/recipes/recipes.htmvictoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632367532051704561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043975491256061644.post-3628162469735202982009-10-13T17:48:00.005-04:002009-10-17T23:11:58.891-04:00"variety meats" anyone???just came back from thanksgiving weekend at home home and can't believe the number of recipes that need to be done!!<br /><br />518 in total with a whopping 111 different pasta dishes... -- <span style="font-style: italic;">incredibile</span>!!<br /><br />definitely starting to have my doubts about this project... every heard of "variety meats"??? yup, that's a chapter in the book and includes such delicacies as calf brain, liver and kidney. uh... anybody know any good butchers in the north london area? because i'm going to say that those lovely cuts of meat aren't going to be able at my local Loblaws...<br /><br />also, holy do they love pasta! i mean, i realized that it was important, but not until i counted up the recipes in this book, did i realize the extent! i've really got to get cracking on this!<br /><br />ooo, on a fun note, went beserk at nofills over the weekend! bought fennel or <span style="font-style: italic;">finocchio</span> and atichokes to start trying out the recipes, but alas, never got a chance to actually start... :( was so looking forward to it! however, do not fret!! it will begin!! (you know, once i get more than 1 egg and 3 apples in my fridge! hahaha!!!)victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632367532051704561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043975491256061644.post-63967269325022814782009-10-08T09:59:00.002-04:002009-10-08T10:02:29.757-04:00confession...definitely up til 3am reading and putting together a friend's birthday dinner...<br /><br />also, the food processor is gone!!!!!!!!!! :(victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14632367532051704561noreply@blogger.com0